Just in Case
by weirdgirl42
Summary: How Sara and Grissom might have gotten together. Spoilers for Grave Danger. Minor ones for 2nd and 3rd seasons.


_Authors note: I love stories that deal with Grissom's hearing. This idea popped into my head and wouldn't let go. I was watching seasons 2 and 3 and I decided that there is no way Sara didn't know what was going on with Grissom. So here's my version of how Griss and Sara could have gotten together. Sign Language is in italics.  
_

**Just in Case**

Grissom stared through the glass window as Nick's parents sat vigil beside their sleeping son's hospital bed. The doctors had told everyone that Nick would be fine but he'd have to stay in the hospital for a few days so they could monitor his reaction to the ant bites and the anti-histamines now running through his system.

Warrick had been the one to talk to the doctors, the one to talk to Nick's parents. Grissom hadn't been able to handle it. After informing Ecklie that he wanted his guys back, Grissom had gotten into Greg's car and allowed himself to really think for the first time about what had happened.

Now at the hospital all he could think about was how close they had come to being torn apart. And somewhere in the back of his mind he could suppress the thought that continued to run through his head, Nick was a random choice. It could have been any of them. It could have been her.

He shook his head to rid his mind of that thought. He couldn't bear to even entertain the idea for a moment. As he stood in the darkened hallway he realized how stupid he'd been for the last five years. Well for the last ten years if he counted from the day he'd met her in San Francisco.

The sound vending machine around the corner dispensing a soda brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced around the waiting room and realized that the rest of his team had left. In his mind's eye he could see Catherine placing her hand on Warrick's shoulder and leading him slowly out of the hospital. He could see Greg sitting, head in hands, as Brass stood next to him, speaking in low tones that the younger man should go home and sleep. And Sara…

Usually no matter what else was going on he was aware of when Sara entered or left a room. The fact that she was no longer sitting in the chair next to the fire extinguisher made him wonder just how out of it he was.

He had just decided that she must have gone home with Brass and Greg when he heard her voice. Following it towards the vending machine he stopped just short of turning the corner. Sara was placing her open can of diet coke on the counter of the nurses station so that she could help a little girl retrieve her money from under the machine.

Handing the change back to the girl Sara spoke, "See there you go."

The child said nothing, just shook her head and pointed to her ear. Grissom was about to intervene when Sara's hand moved to point to her ear and then to her mouth.

"_You're deaf?" _

The girl's eyes grew wide with surprise but she eagerly responded. _"Yes."_

"_My name's Sara? What's yours?"_

"_Katie. Are you sick?"_

"_No, my friend was hurt."_

Grissom's mouth fell open. Sara's signs were a little slow but otherwise nearly perfect.

"_Is your friend okay?"_ Katie asked.

"_He will be."_

"_My mom's sick. She ha surgery. But she's okay."_

"_That's good."_

Katie put her money into the machine, pushed the button, and took her soda. _"Thank you for your help," _she signed with one hand. _"Tell you friend I hope he feels better."_

"_Thank you Katie."_

With that the little girl walked away and Grissom came out from around the corner. "Sara?" he said.

Sara turned and in her eyes he saw the same weariness he felt. She said nothing. She didn't have to. The wordless agreement made, they walked together until they were out of the hospital. When they reached his car he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"When did you learn to sign?" he asked, moving closer to her.

"Little over two years ago."

He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know the answer to his next question. But it was not in him to back down from his own curiosity. "Why?"

Sara sighed and leaned against the SUV. "Just in case," she said. Looking him in the eye.

The weight of her words nearly knocked the wind out of him. "You knew?"

Again, the words weren't necessary. The answer was in her eyes.

"How?"

Sara shrugged. "I know you. I know when something's wrong. I know that even though you get wrapped up in cases you don't zone out like you were then. You don't always stare at people's lips when they speak. You knew sign language. You told Gerard that your mother said hello. I figured it must be genetic."

"Otosclerosis."

"That's what I thought. When you took a leave of absence and then came back fine I figured you got the surgery."

"I did." There was a pause in which neither met the other's eye. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"I knew that if you had wanted to, you'd have told me. And everything was so screwed up with us. I didn't want to make it worse. You obviously didn't want any of us to know."

"But then why learn to sign?"

Sara smiled sadly, "Because no matter how bad things were or ever get between us, I can't imagine not being able to talk to you."

Grissom opened and closed his mouth several times. He had no idea what to say. What a fool he had been. Thinking she couldn't handle it. Aching inside when he'd turned her invitation to dinner down because there was no way she'd want him when he was old _and_ deaf. He felt the tears that had been poking against his eyes since they first saw the footage of Nick in that box begin to well in his eyes.

Afterwards, he couldn't remember ever moving his hand but the next thing he knew he was gently stroking the side of her face. He flashbacked on a similar scene a few years before. "There's no chalk," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Sara smiled the first real smile he'd seen since even before Nick was taken.

"Am I too late Sara?"

"What?"

"You told me that by the time I figured this out it might be too late."

Sara covered his hand with hers, pulling it away from her face and intertwining their fingers. "Griss, for a guy who financed his first body farm with his poker winnings you aren't very good at calling a bluff."

She looked up into his eyes and what he saw reflected there made his stomach lurch and heart jump into his throat. Passion, safety, warmth, and maybe even love. "You could never be too late."

He kissed her then. Their clasped hands trapped between their bodies as his lips finally touched hers. And in that moment Grissom knew that there was no turning back. It only took ten seconds but now, never touching her again was no longer an option.

When they pulled back for air Grissom held her against his chest. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of being close to him. He kissed her hair and her temple and then finally pulled away. Taking a breath began to sign.

"_I am going to mess up. But if you will have me, I will try to be worthy of you. Do you think you can put up with me?"_

Sara just smiled and signed, _"Forever."_

It was Grissom's turn to grin. Sara turned to climb into the SUV but before she did she caught his reflection in the tinted window. His hand was at his chest. Thumb, index, and pinkie fingers sticking out while the middle and ring fingers were curled into his palm.

She paused long enough to let him know she had seen before getting into the Denali. As he started the ignition she reached over and grasped his hand. "I love you too," she said.

The End

_Please review. They're like crack to me. :D_


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